Sacrifice, Balance, and Entropy

Balance and Entropy, two opposing concepts often forgotten or unrecognized in training. Entropy is a measure of disorder, and everything in the universe trends toward disorder, or an increase in entropy. Balance is the result of opposition to entropy and result of equal and opposed forces in nature that counteract each other to achieve sustainability in a system.

What does this have to do with triathlon?

Well, I dont know, but I like to hear myself talk sometimes.

We have to fight this natural tendency to drift toward disorder, and decrease the entropy in our lives. In training, it's so tempting to push to a level of discomfort that results in diminished returns or injury. Its easy to see from a coaches vantage point, but as the athlete, its very difficult to recognize it in yourself. Time trial intervals on the bike for example. Why is it necessary to try to constantly achieve a higher level from one workout to the next? Its our innate response to embrace discomfort, believing this is where improvement occurs.

This is partially true. There is indeed a level of suffering and risk that comes with training to achieve a goal, especially a high goal. However, when training intervals day after day, week after week, I dont make attempts to improve power to the point of diminished returns. Rather, I try to have some degree of forsight, and knowing with patience, the power at a given distance and cadence will com... eventually. Working to that point takes determination and willingness to accept where I am at today, and making minimal increments of advancement. I try to achieve very similar degree of power at a given distance week to week, but most importantly, my primary goal is to feel more comfortable at that power. At the point where I feel comfortable to the point of a complete lack of lactate accumulation, I then consider an increase...not necessarily in power, but in time at that power.

This is a method of trying to maintain orderly progression in training, and to decrease the natural tendency to create disorder in our environment, and of course decrease the amount of entropy as we progress toward our goal.

PHEONIX ROCK AND ROLL MARATHON

So, I ran the rock and roll marathon in Pheonix this past Sunday. Well, not really. I injured my calf slipping on ice nearly 3 weeks ago. My calf went into spasm and more like a severe cramp, didnt recover from the run. I took 5 days off, then attempted to run, and lasted 2 miles before spasm ensued. So, I began a more aggressive therapy of ice, compression, rest, ultrasound, electo-stim and massage. These seemed to improve the calf over the following week. I didnt attempt to run at all before the marathon because my primary goal then became helping an athlete of mine get to his goal of qualifying for the Boston marathon. He needed a 3:20, and missed it in October at Detroit marathon with a 3:39. So, with only two 18 mile runs since detroit, and training all runs on treadmill except long runs, he was here to attempt again. I figured I would meet him at mile 20 and run him in. So, it was important to keep my calf healthy to assure I could run 7:30 pace for 6 miles.

I met him at mile 19, which was as close to 20 as I could find considering the huge crowds and limited access to the course. He looked good as I started running, and was in a 3:20 pace group of about 8-10 athletes. We ran together and over the next 2-3 miles I could feel him deteriorating rather rapidly, which wasnt unexpected given his long runs have been limited. At 22 it became quite difficult and I could see him struggling to mainatain pace. I told him to hit his split on his watch and we would just run a two mile segment. Only goal is to do the next 2 miles in 15 minutes, that's it. I began talking about Boston, and the experience of waiting in Hopkington before the race start, the Newton hills, Welsley college, the fire station, and of course the final stretch on Boylston. At mile 23 or so my calf blew up quickly, over the course of a half mile or so, and by 24 was in severe spasm to the point I thought I'd have to stop.

I glanced over and realized Eric was struggling more, and the pace group was down to 3-4 athletes. He was breathing quite hard, limping a bit, arms becoming more sporadic, and knees bounding more. I tried to talk him down, "relax your knees and shuffle", "relax the arms", "try to stay smooth". All this...and I am still uncertain if he even heard me. I told him, 2 miles is "nothing" and he's done this hundreds of times during training. I told him to find a focal point. This got us to 25.

The struggle became worse as we crossed 25 both for me and him, but he was in a different kind of pain, not a simple calf, but a whole body pain that we've all felt toward the end of a race. I tried to play on my previous talk on the Boston experience and started barking at him. "Man..you are not letting this slip away from you", "DO NOT let this go!", and "come on man, I know you're stonger!" His only response was a grunt here and there and that deep moan on the exhalation when your body just doesnt want to go on.

We ran stride for stride for the next half mile or so and yeah, it was a long 4minutes. In that final half mile, it was more like a daze for him. We've all competed in that dream-state before, and I think this was the first time Eric was in this "zone". Another deep moan I remember as we approached 26. As we turned to 26, another 7:30 mile, and saw the finish line ahead, he started to pick it up.

We turned the final corner and there ahead, the finish line. I put my hand on his back and pushed him from behind and said something like, "it's yours man...now go take it!"

He accelerated. He crossed the line in 3:19.18, his personal best, and he qualified for Boston.

We high fived at the line, we high fived again, a brief hug, and a huge sigh of relief.

Understand, Eric has no real running history. He is not the traditional runner in the sense that many triathletes are. For him, a Boston qualifier is a season goal and important to him. I remember my first Boston, and how important it was to me. I understand why the race is the "Mecca" of marathons, and I understand why it's so important for Eric to get there.

I cant tell you how satisfying it is to be a part of someones goal. To make a difference. Eric didnt really need me directly in his goal, dont get me wrong, but he did need someone there to show him how to approach the pain threshold, and excel beyond it. This is one of those moments I will never forget as an athlete. To be there in the moment as another achieves. This was one of the most memorable runs of my career.

Why was running the final miles of this race so important to me? Why did I go down there knowing I couldnt race? Because this race was not about me.

It was about finding the balance.